SOCOTRA, Yemen, 15th May, 2018 (WAM) -- The UAE Civil Defence has imparted emergency rescue and recovery training for recruits in the Yemeni island of Socotra, in preparation for a tropical storm expected to hit the island on Wednesday.

Members of the Civil Defence trained local residents and the island's coastguard on how to effectively handle emergency responses during a natural disaster, including home and airport emergency evacuations, and airlifting and sea rescue missions.

The recruits underwent training in a number of different disciplines and responded to various scenarios set-up by the UAE forces.

In one scenario, members of the Yemeni coastguard were dispatched from a UAE helicopter to the water to save a drowning man in rough waves and high winds.

In 2016, 29 people drowned after their vessel sank off the coast of Socotra, highlighting the significance of such training efforts to prepare the local coastguard for any emergency